Maria Montessori ( August 31, 1870 – May 6, 1952 )

Maria Tecla Artemesia Montessori was an Italian Physician and Educator, a Noted Humanitarian and Devout Roman Cathilic  best known for the Philosophy of Education that bears her Name.

Maria Montessori was the first woman to obtain a medical degree in Italy - from the University of Rome

 Her Educational Method is in use today in Public and Private Schools throughout the World.Maria Montessori developed the system of education for young children based on spontaneity of expression and freedom from restraint.

The first Casa

In 1906 Montessori was invited to oversee the care and education of a group of children of working parents in a new apartment building for low-income families in the San Lorenzo district in Rome. Montessori was interested in applying her work and methods to mentally normal children, and she accepted. The name Casa dei Bambini, or Children's House, was suggested to Montessori, and the first Casa opened on January 6, 1907, enrolling 50 or 60 children between the ages of two or three and six or seven.

Montessori Education

Montessori education is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological  development, as well as technological advancements in society.Although a range of practices exists under the name "Montessori", the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS) cite these elements as essential -

• Mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children aged 2½ or 3 to 9 years old by far the most common
• Student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
• Uninterrupted blocks of work time
• A Constructivist or "discovery" model, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by direct instruction
• Specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators

 

 

 

 

 

Spread of Montessori Education in Italy

The first Casa dei Bambini was a success, and a second was opened on April 7, 1907. The children in her programs continued to exhibit concentration, attention, and spontaneous self-discipline, and the classrooms began to attract the attention of prominent educators, journalists, and public figures.

In 1909, Montessori held the first teacher training course in her new method in Città di Castello, Italy. In the same year, she described her observations and methods in a book titled Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica Applicato All'Educazione Infantile Nelle Case Dei Bambini (The Method of Scientific Pedagogy Applied to the Education of Children in the Children's Houses).

International Recognition and Growth of Montessori Education

Maria Montessori's work began to attract the attention of international observers and visitors. Her work was widely published internationally, and spread rapidly. By the end of 1911, Montessori education had been officially adopted in public schools in Italy and Switzerland, and was planned for the United Kingdom.By 1912, Montessori schools had opened in Paris and many other Western European cities, and were planned for Argentina, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Syria, the United States, and New Zealand. Public programs in London, Johannesburg, Rome, and Stockholm had adopted the method in their school systems.

In 1913 the first International Training Course was held in Rome,Italy.

Montessori in the United States of America

The first North American Montessori school was opened in October 1911, in Tarrytown,New York,USA 

 

Montessori in India

The Montessori Society of India was formed in 1926, and Il Metodo was translated into Gujarati and Hindi  in 1927 .The work began with her arrival here in 1939, and continued through her representatives, Joosten and Swamy, before spreading further. In 1939, the Theosophical Society of India extended an invitation to the 69-year-old Montessori.Maria Montessori made Adayar, Chennai her home and lived there along with her son, Mario. The famous Montessorians, Gool Minwala, Tehmina Wadia and Khurshed Taraporewala were the students in the first training at Adyar.